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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask what age you think drew this picture?

446 replies

amiaweirdoo · 29/06/2023 16:12

Trying to work out if it is good or not. Does this look like a child that has artistic potential and how old would you expect the child that drew that to be?

To ask what age you think drew this picture?
OP posts:
Thread gallery
16
BramblyHedge · 29/06/2023 20:49

IKnowItsNotMine · 29/06/2023 19:26

My original thought was 7 - but do 7 year olds colour in the whole page, I don’t think so.

Going with a safe 10.

They can do colour the whole page. Mine did when he was 4...

To ask what age you think drew this picture?
Newnamenewname109870 · 29/06/2023 20:50

Come on op, tell us!

I think this is it the crux. It’s the op and we said it looks like a child. Oops!

Still better than mine would be.

Onelifeonly · 29/06/2023 20:51

I think it is on the better side of average, assuming a child of 8 to 10 drew this, but it is not representative of a major talent. I know 10 to 11 year olds who can do better and my niece has a significant talent - she could draw better than this at that age. Of course if it's a much younger child, maybe it shows real talent as childrens drawings depend also on their cognitive development.

Tiddlypomtiddlypom · 29/06/2023 20:51

6: quite good at drawing.
17: ….😬

flimsywhimsy · 29/06/2023 20:52

I agree with those who've said this could be drawn by anyone from a youngish child with advanced abilities to an adult who has adopted this as their style.

Some aspects are 'juvenile'/'naive", but others are more advanced and nuanced. Impossible to pin down.

Macaroni46 · 29/06/2023 20:52

So are you going to tell us then OP?

RunAwayTurnAwayRunAwayTurnAway · 29/06/2023 20:56

TheWalrusdidbeseech · 29/06/2023 20:15

I do hope the "OP" is not a bored teenager bullying a classmate and ridiculing their drawing.

Show quote history

I hope not, but the finger/thumbnail in the bottom left looks like it could belong to a teenager, and the room s/he is standing in looks pink...

I like the artwork. It has perfectly captured Queen Victoria's 'fuck the world' facial expression and shape.

Onelifeonly · 29/06/2023 20:58

daisychain01 · 29/06/2023 19:10

I agree with @peachicecream its difficult to pin down an age to an artistic style.

I don't agree with the comment that artistic talent cannot be innate.

My brother is a case in point. At the age of 7 onwards into adulthood he was completely immersed in art, mainly pen and ink drawings. He could literally draw anything, the detail and observations were totally awe-inspiring. It was innate talent no doubt. You'd never be able to "guess his age" by looking at his art, it would have been impossible, or at least wildly inaccurate.

Similarly a girl in my class at school was prodigious by the age of 11 she could have been a new age Beatrix Potter with her Tales of the Riverbank genre. She used to unveil her creations completed over a weekend in the Monday art lesson. She went on to be a professional artist.

OP I love your DC's painting (presumably Queen Victoria?). It's charming, love everything about it, down to the rich red backdrop, with the contrasting royal blue sash, all very regal. I hope you come back and tell us their age. I think 10-11 years old.

Of course artistic talent is innate. That doesn't mean a child cant be taught to be a better artist. My niece could colour within the lines at 18 months and copy pictures in a lifelike way when she was in primary school. As a teen she could mimic styles and draw very accurate portraits. No one taught her any of it. Her work stopped looking like a child's early on. She refused to study art though as she disliked having to do set pieces at GCSE.

Intriguedbythis · 29/06/2023 20:59

7/8

Namechangeforanamechange · 29/06/2023 21:02

quite a few comments along these lines and it’s pure ignorance, learn about camera lucida and other techniques masters used and you’ll see there’s no shame in using photos references or painting from photos. If you don’t know anything about art don’t comment on it

Why do you think artists use techniques like camera lucida, @Conditiony ?

People who do know about art are making comments like this because they understand that drawing from memory is harder than drawing from life because you don't have a clear reference. Drawing from life is harder than drawing from a photo or picture because your brain has to translate a 3D image into a 2D image. Also, if they are reproducing a professional photograph or painting, the composition is not their own... A painting in a naive or pop art style is easier to copy than an old master because they are less detailed etc

No one has said there is any shame in using a photo or painting for reference, they are just pointing out that it requires less skill/experience than painting from life/memory. It does make a difference in answering OP's question though. If you asked the same child to paint the same person from memory, life and a photo, you would expect the results to look very different.

PurpleFlower1983 · 29/06/2023 21:02

I would say 8 or 9. It looks great!

Toomuchtrouble4me · 29/06/2023 21:06

Depends if it was drawn or copied. If drawn by 10/11yr old then excellent. If copied then good but not amazing.

Jessbee22 · 29/06/2023 21:07

I agree with others who’ve said that it’s more important to encourage artistic flare than look for comparisons, as children develop at different speeds, and also have different levels of enthusiasm. But for a fun comparison - Picasso produced this drawing aged 11

To ask what age you think drew this picture?
Caramelatt · 29/06/2023 21:15

Definitely a child with great artistic potential 👏👏

Caramelatt · 29/06/2023 21:17

Icannoteven · 29/06/2023 16:18

Also, yes I think there is definitely artistic potential there. They have a unique style, both in the way they use colour and in the way they use lines (see the eye/nose area).

I agree. I am now curious to know the age of kid.

WeWereInParis · 29/06/2023 21:18

It's better than I could draw, so I really have no idea.

Ouchee · 29/06/2023 21:19

They never came back to update?! Shock

Where's mnhq with the ban hammer...

Iamacatslave · 29/06/2023 21:20

Just tell us.

Dressydress · 29/06/2023 21:22

Can you tell age by a drawing.... my 8 year old drew this (7 at the time)

To ask what age you think drew this picture?
EpicChaos · 29/06/2023 21:24

It's better than i could do, so well done to whoever drew it, regardless of their age.

mcmooberry · 29/06/2023 21:26

Late to the party and going to look for the answer now - but my guess is 10.

mcmooberry · 29/06/2023 21:27

Oh what there's no answer!!

Wheelz46 · 29/06/2023 21:27

Those stating it couldn't have been drawn by a 6 or 7 year old are totally wrong and I am not blowing the trumpet of my own children here, they got my non existent artistic talent 🤣

However, my son's friend is very gifted when it comes to drawing and could have drawn this at a very young age. She is 13 now and she could produce something that you would buy and pop on a wall.

There is no way of telling a person's age by their drawing, I am an adult and can still only manage to draw a stick person 🤣🤣

Doesn't matter how old the child in question is, tell them they have done an amazing and as long as they enjoyed drawing it, that is all that matters.

Ejismyf · 29/06/2023 21:28

7 to 10 I think

Caramelatt · 29/06/2023 21:28

MrsElijahMikaelson1 · 29/06/2023 16:50

I think yr 4/5 IME

Do you think 4 year old do shading like done in the background?